Track-instrument for railroad-signals



(No Model.) y l l M. s. o oNLY.

TRACK INSTRUMENT FOR RAILROAD SIGNALS.

No. 428,041. Patented May 13, 1890.

E Wg

we Noms Perzns co.. How-uwe., wasmnm'ou. o. e.

UNITED STATES IWIAHLON S. OONLY, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

HYDE PARK, ILLINOIS.

TRACK-INSTRUMENT FOR RAILROAD-SIGNALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,041, dated May 13,1890.

Application filed February 15, 1889. Serial No. 300,024. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, MAHLON S. OONLY, a citizen of the Unit-ed States,residing in the village of Hyde Park, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrack-Instruments for Railroad-Signals, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in track-instruments for use inconnection with automatic electric signaling apparatus, commonly knownas block-signals for railways, through the medium of which instrumentsthe weight of a passing train is utilized for operating` the signalingapparatus.

The principal objection to these instruments as heretofore constructedis that they are not only exposed to the action of the elements, butalso to tampering by irresponsible parties, as well as to accidentaloperation by handcars, railway velocipedes, and even pedestrians, whichthereby causes the signal to be falsely exposed, and thus occasionannoying and sometimes dangerous delays to trains, which must heed suchfalse signals, and besides this the instruments when placed upon theground require constant adjustment on account of their changing positionrelative to the rail, owing'to the swelling and sinking of the ground.

One of the objects of this invention is to avoid the necessity for thedirect engagement of the wheel with the instrument for operating thesame and to utilize the weight alone of a passing train for actuatingthe instrument in both directions, whereby the circuit through theinstrument will be positively opened and closed by the action of thepassing train.

Another object is to prevent the action of the track-instrument, andconsequently of the signaling apparatus, by any force substantially lessthan the weight of a passing train, or at least suliicient to bend ordeect the track in an equal degree with that occasioned by the passingtrain, whereby is avoided either intentional or accidental operationthereof by a hand-car or pedestrian.

A further object is to have the instrument of such a character that itwill automatically adjust itself to the variations in the position ofthe track relative thereto, due to the swelling and sinking' of theground, and thereby avoid the necessity for adjustment by hand, and atthe same time insure a successful operation of the instrument at alltimes and under all circumstances.

Other objects are to providenovel and efficient mechanism for carryingout the objects of my invention, all as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l represents a central vertical sectionthrough a track-instrument embodying my invention, showing its relationto a railway-track; Fig. 2, a horizontal section through the casingcontaining the operative parts thereof which are shown in detail; Fig.3, a transverse vertical section through the center thereof, at rightangles to Fig. l; Fig. 4, a detail section on the line 4 4 of Fig'. l,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 5, a detailsection on the line 5 5 of Fig. l, looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

The operating parts of my instrument are contained in a casing of anysuitable construction or material, but preferably consists of ordinarypiping comprising two horizontal 4sections A B, screwed at oppositesides into a cross-coupling O, the upper opening of which coupling isclosed by a screw-plug D, while into the lower opening is screwed theupper end of a vertical pipe-section E, of any suitable length,preferably pointed at the lower end thereof to facilitate the driving ofthis section into the ground, so as to constitute a support for theentire casing.

W'thin the center of the casing-that is, eX- tending axially through thevertical portion of the coupling O and down into the pipe-section E-is ascrew-threaded piston-rod F, guided at its upper end in a suitablebracket G, proj ecting from the wall of the coupling and limited in itsreciprocations by nuts G thereon above and below said bracket, the lowerend of said rod carrying a piston Il, working in a closed cylinder I,which latter works and is guided in the pipe-section E and supported andactuated by links J, depending from the inner bifurcated end of a leverK, pivoted in a suitable plug L, closing the end of-the hori- IOO zontalpipc-section B, the opposite or outer end of which lever is alsobitureated, so as to receive the llange of the rail )l between theendstl1ereol,the extremities of the bitureatcd portion heilig preferablyrounded, as shown in Fig. l, so as to Vlit snugly and without play uponthe llange ot the rail, and at the same time constitute a slidingconnection between the lever and the rail, so that a vertical movementot the latter will produce a corresponding movement of the l'ormer. lhesame result would of course be attained by a pinand-slot connectionbetween the lever and rail, or any other form ot connection which wouldcause the rail to aetuate the lever positively in both dircctions-thatis, depress the end of the lever when the rail is depressed and elevateand return the same to its normal position when the rail springs back toits normal elevated position-and I therefore do not limit myself to theexact t'orm or construction herein shown.

In the pipe-section A is inserted a pair ot semicircular lilling-blocksN N', of some insulating material, between which is confined a metalliccontact-strip (l, while in longitudinal peripheral grooves l l arelocated metallic tongues Q R, secured at their outer ends to the blocksN N', respectively.

The inner ends ot these links extend into the interior of the coupling(l, the tongue Q, freely and normally in contact with the end of theplate t), and the end ot the tongue lt, below and out of contati-t witheither the tongue or plate and eonlined between insulatingwashers S,adjusted and secured upon the piston-rod 11 by nuts S'.

On the end of the pipe-section A may bc screwed or otherwise lltted acap T, serving to exclude dust and moisture trom the interior ot theeasing, every other part ot. which is closed, as betere described.

To the ends of the metallic tongues Q lt are attached the terminal wiresl V ot an electric circuit in which are included suitable signalingdevices adapted and arranged to be operated upon the closing of thecircuit by contact between the inner ends olf said tongues, theconstruction, operation, and location of which devices are immaterial sotar as relates to this invention. 'lo the metallic plate O may also besecured a wire connecting with a relay or secondary circuit or with aclosed primary circuit, including electrieal signaling devices, whichwill l e actuated by the opening ot the circuit when contact is brokenbetween the tongue Q and said plate, or this plate may serve as a reliefor leak branch for the main cireuitto prevent sparking between thetongues (.2 R, or, in tact, may be omitted altogether, it not retpiiredfor some such special purpose as just enrnnerated.

The operation of the instrtunent is as l`ollows: 'hen the track isdepressed by the weight of a passing train, the outer end ot the leverwill also be depressed and the inner end correspondingly elevated,carrying with it the air-cylinder or piston-chamber, which, beingclosed, will cause the piston to be likewise elevated, by reason of theexpansion ot the air above and contraction ot the air below the piston,due to the sudden rising ot the pistoncylinden ',lhe elevation ot' thepiston, carrying with it; thepiston-rod, causes a correspondingelevation ot the end of the tongue R into contact with the tongue Q,thus completing the electric circuit through these tongues, and it theplate O be employed it will also cause the opening ot the circuitbetween the tongue Q and said plate simultaneously with the closing otthe circuit between the two tongues, and as both ot` the tongues arellexible and elastic a variation in the degree ot movementthereof willmake no difference so long contact is established. The return orspringing back of the track to its normal elevated position will ofcourse cause a reversal ot' the position of all of these parts by thereturn ol` the piston-cylinder to its normal depressed position, therebybreaking the contact between the tongues and reestablishing the circuitbetween the tongue Q and the metallic plate. It will also be observedthat variatons in the degree ot' vibration of the lever will notalterthepromptand ctticient action ot the parts, and that it themovement produced by a train of unusual weight is greater than theoperatingpartjs are adjusted lor, then the air in the l'iiston-chamberwill serve as an elastic or yielding cush ion, which will relieve thepiston land its connections of the direct l'orce ot thelevcr,which wouldotherwise cause the fracture ol' some ot' the parts were a rigidconnection between the lever and piston-rod employed. For additionalsecurity, lmwever, and to avoid the possibility of injury to the partsby too great compression of the atmosphere in thc pistoncylinder, lprovide a satety-valve X, attached to the end of a llat spring Y andworking through the piston in either difcction, so that when thecompression becomes too great for the safety ot the parts this valvewill open and permit the air to pass from the lower compression to theupper expansion chamber olf the pisttin-cylinder, and when the cylinderis moved in the opposite direction the air will pass back again untilt-he equilibrium is established between the air-chambers on each side ofthe piston.

Another important function ot' this yield ing connection between thelever and piston rod or equivalent devices employed for oper ating oneol' the tongues is that the devices will be automaticallyself-adjusting, so that changes in the position ot' the track relativeto the instrument, or vice versa, occasioned by the elements-that is,moisture, heat, and cold-will not in any way at'tcct the perfectoperation ot the instrument. These changes ot course take place slowly,the ground sinking or swelling gradually with the change ot' seasons andthe track possibly rising slightly when expanded by the heat of summer;but

IOO

IIO

such changes are so gradual that the rising and falling of thepiston-cylinder, carried up and down by the movement of the track-lever,will have no elt'ect upon the piston, because the air in the cylinderwill pass so gradually from one side of the piston to the other that itwill remain in substantial equilibrium at all times, except when underaction by the force of a passing1 train.

From the foregoing it will be understood that this instrument dependssolely upon the weight ot" a passing train for its actuation, and isentirely independent of the wheel, tread, and flange, and that theoperative parts of the instrument are not only protected from the actionof the elements, but are also placed beyond the possibility of eitheraccidental or intentional operation by a hand-car, railwayvelocipede, orpassing pedestrian, for the instrument cannot be operated by any forcesubstantially less than the weight of a passing train, and such a forcecould obviously not be otherwise exerted thereon; hence the instrumentis an absolute safeguard against tampering therewith and causing thefalse setting of the signals controlled thereby by irresponsibleparties, and thus avoid any danger of unnecessary and annoying delay totrains, which must obey the signals whether set `falsely or otherwise.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. In a track-instrument for railroad-,signals, the combination, with arail, of circuit making and breaking devices, a piston-rod for operatingthe same, a lever connected with the rail-flange at one end, a closedcylinder attached to theopposite end thereof, and a piston on thepiston-rod working in and actuated by the movements of said cylinder,substantially as described.

2. In a track-instrument for railroad-signals, the combination, with arail, of circuit making and breakin g devices, a piston-rod foractuating the same, a closed piston-chamber, a piston on said rod working in saidchamber, and mechanism connected with and actuated by the railfor reciprocating said cylinder, and thereby operating the piston,substantially as described.

' 3. In atrack-instrument for railroad-signals, the combination, with arail, of circuit making and breaking devices, a piston-rod operating thesame, a closed piston-chamber, a piston on said rod working in saidchamber, a safety-valve in said piston, and mechanism for operating thepiston-chamber connected with and actuated by the rail, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a track-instrument for railroad-signals, the combination, with arail, of circuit making and breaking` devices, a piston-rod foroperating the same, the piston thereof, a lever bifurcated at its outerend for the reception of the rail-flange, a closed chamber in which saidpiston works, and a link-connection between said chamber and lever,substantially as described.

5. In a track-instrument for railroad-signals, the combination, with arail, ot a vertically reciprocating piston rod, the piston thereof, avertically-reciprocating closed cylinder in which said piston works,opposing contact-plates, one of which is free and the other attached toand operated by said piston-rod, a lever bifureated at one end forreception of the rail-flange, and a link-connection between said leverand closed cylinder, substantially as described.

G. In a track-instrument for railroad-signals, the combination, with arail, of a vertically -reciprocating pisto'n rod, the piston thereof, avertically-reciprocating closed cylinder in which said piston works,opposing contact-plates, one of which is free and the other attached toand operated by the pistonrod, a contact-strip normally in contact withthe free plate, a lever bifurcated at one end for reception of therail-ange, and a linkconnection between said leverfand a closedcylinder, substantially as described.

MAHLON S. CONLY.

IVitnesses:

ALBERT M. BENNETT, W. R. OMoHUNDRo.

